Issue #9

It’s been a week of talking, sharing and asking “Why?” When I pick up a task and go through the documentation, I often find that in defining the problem, people naturally try and bake in the solution. I ask why? By removing how we think we can solve this and tightening down on what is the real problem we’re solving, we can ensure that we deliver the right thing.

“Whatever failures I have known, whatever errors I have committed, whatever follies I have witnessed in public and private life, have been the consequences of action without thought.”— Bernard Baruch

I’ve signed up to a few talks this year, including Frontier Conf and Digital Hampshire. I start every talk by defining what User Experience design is, to better help everyone in the room. Here, 15 experts explain what they believe UX design is.

When I read this post on Medium, I was nodding my head all the way through. Wouter de Bres wrote down twelve design principles for his team to help him make design decisions. It reads as a manifesto to great, modern design process. Love it.

There is so much to learn from the late Steve Jobs. Here, at the 1997 WWDC, he turns an insult into sharing a company vision. There is so much to admire here. He also explains that, instead of asking the engineers “what can we make”, he works first with the Customer Experience, and works back to the technology. Such clear vision, and remember, this is back in 1997.

I’m always changing my mind. I prefer small change design over months coming up with a master design. Be open to change. Be open to letting yourself evolve. I’ve been a long-time reader of Gary Vaynerchuk, and with his latest post, he analyses why he’s so indecisive (TL:DR it’s ok to change your mind).

““Once you build a product, it’s 99% about community management and engagement.”” Hyperakt’s Marianna Fierro gives us a closer look at On the Grid, a way to travel the world through the eyes of designers. Beautiful work and a good example on how to build an MVP - take a look!